Improvement in plow-couplings



J. K. PlTTS.

Plow-Couplings.

No. 135,360. Patentedjan.28, l873.

. AM PHom-mImmPH/c co. mc( lasso/m1; moms) PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES K. PITTS, OF MGLEAN, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLOW-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,360, dated January28, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES K. Pl'r'rs, of McLean, in the county of McLeanand in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Plow-Couplings; and do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear. and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing making apart of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of my device as seen from above, and Fig.2 is a vertical central section of the same upon a line extending fromfront to rear.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

My invention is an improvement upon a class of devices used forconnecting the forward ends of plow-beams to or with the main axle orother equivalent portion of the supporting frame of a cultivator; auditconsists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts by meansof which greater strength, durability, and eificiency ofoperation aresecured, andthe cost of the device lessened, substantially as ishereinafter specified.

In the annexed drawing, A and A represent two plates of metal, havingthe general form in plan view shown, and connected together at theirtransverse centers and near their forward ends by means of a bolt, B,provided upon one end with a head, b, and upon its opposite threaded endwith a nut, B. The forward end of the combined plates is enlargedvertically, and has the exterior form of a horizontal cylinder, while inand through said endis provided a cylindrical opening, (3, whichcorresponds in diameter to the like feature of the cultivator-axle,immediately within its supportingor ground wheel. The rear end of eachplate is formed upon a circular line, and'upc'n' its outer face isprovided with a semi-spherical enlargement, a, while at their commoncenter said plates are provided with a horizontal recess or slot, D,which has a vertical depth of about three-fourths of an inch, is open atits sides and rear, and at its front side is formed upon a circle thatcorresponds to and forms a continuation of the circular line ofsaid'rear end. Within the slot D is fitted a correspondingly-shapedtongue, E, which is attached to and forms a part of a rectangular bar,E, that extends horizontally rearward for about six inches. A bolt, F,passing vertically downward through the plates A and A, and through thetongue E at the radial centers of their circular portions, insures therelative positions of said parts, and at the same time forms an axial ora pivotal bearing upon and around which said tongue and its bar have asemi-rotary movement in a horizontal plane. From either the upper orlower side of the bar E a flange, c, is extended horizontally andlaterally outward, and within the angles formed by the sameand thevertical sides of said bar are placed the plowbeams, the parts beingsecured together by means of two bolts that pass horizontally throughthe same.

The device is now complete, and, as will be seen, furnishes broad andfirm pivotal bearings, for and by means of which are secured thevertical andhorizontal movements of the plow-beams, while, at the sametime, the laterally-vertical position of each plow or shovel is insured,and all twisting or wabbling is prevented.

In addition to the above-named advantages, the parts of the device arecapable of being cast and combined without other fitting up than,possibly, the drilling of the bolt-holes, by which means the cost of itsproduction is rendered comparatively small.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, whatI claim as new, is-- The plow-coupling shown, consisting of the plates Aand A provided at their forward ends with the cylindrical opening 0, andat their rear ends with the semi-spherical bosses a and recess or slot1), connected together by the bolt B, and combined with the tongued barE and E by means of the bolt F, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this26th day of August, 1872.

JAMES K. PITTS.

I Witnesses:

J OSEPH PITTs, O. G. ALDRICH.

